ROCKLIN, Calif. -- The Vanguard University STUNT team took on William Jessup Saturday for the National Championship in the STUNT NAIA Division National Tournament. The Lions had defeated the Warriors by 10 points in the first matchup but the hosting Warriors had something in the tank and the might of the home crowd. In a tightly contested game, the Warriors edged the Lions 9-8 to take the program's first STUNT National Championship. VU will finish the year at 15-4 after a phenomenal season.
What Happened? The Lions had won the first three encounters by an average of seven points on the year but this matchup would serve up something completely different. The Blue and Gold got the first point of the night, as the team was better at routine #7 (a scale of one to eight, with increasing difficulty) in partner stunts. Routine three was next and both teams were awarded one point. Routine eight, the performance with maximum difficulty, was then called out but neither side could score points, keeping VU ahead 2-1. But the Lions had the final say in the first frame, taking the point on routine five to lead 3-1 after one quarter.
The second quarter of pyramids and tosses got started with routine three and the Warriors got the point to close the gap to one. WJU also took the next point in routine five to tie the score at 3-3 but Vanguard responded immediately. The squad took the point on routine four and led 5-3 going into halftime.
The third quarter of jumps and tumbling started with routine five and the Warriors were awarded the point to make it 5-4 VU. WJU then took the decision for routine #6 to once again tie the game. The ante was then raised to the max for routine eight but neither side hit the mark, leaving the game knotted up. But William Jessup stole the final tally of the period by taking the point for routine four to snag their first lead of the contest.
That brought the game to the final quarter with everything on the line, as both teams took to the mat for the extended performances. With each discipline put together, routine number four was the first one called out. The Lions showed their championship mettle by taking two of the three points to tie the game at seven-all. But on routine one, the Warriors were awarded two of the three points to take a lead. With everything coming down to the final act, the hardest sequence, routine eight, was called. But when the music stopped and the judges talked it over, neither team was awarded points, giving WJU the win.
